Grand Place

The Grand Place in Brussels is the most decorated square in Europe and this is no coincidence. On 13-14 and 15 August 1695, French troops led by a confidant of Louis XIV, François de Neufville, Duke of Villeroy, fired 4,000 cannonballs, 5,000 bombs and 2,000 grenades at the city, which immediately caught fire and burned to the ground. Europe was outraged and reacted with horror to this all-out war in which, for the first time, the civilian population had not been spared. After the disaster, the city simply rose from its ashes, albeit with new fire regulations, straightened building lines and a greater focus on safety, hygiene and traffic flow. The Guildsmen of the Grand Place also made a contribution by adorning their houses, which were reconstructed with natural stone, with statues and gold leaf; this is what makes the area unique to this day.

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